Mike Nichols, One of America's Most Celebrated Directors, Dies at 83

He is one of the few to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

Mike Nichols, whose direction helped define a new generation of filmmaking, died at 83 on Wednesday night. The filmmaker, writer, and theater director was one of the few people to claim an "EGOT," having accepted trophies at the Emmys, the Grammys, the Oscars, and the Tonys over his six-decade career.

Nichols was born in Germany in 1931, and came to America when he was 7 to escape Nazi persecution. He studied theater at the University of Chicago and went on to perform in a famed comedy duo with Elaine May. But his directing in film and theater cemented his legacy as an entertainment icon.

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The prolific director may perhaps be best known for The Graduate, the hugely influential 1967 film starring a then-unknown Dustin Hoffman. He also directed films like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Working Girl, The Birdcage, and Charlie Wilson's War.

He was especially decorated for his theater work, winning nine Tonys overall. He won six for the direction of a play, more than anyone else. He directed shows like "Death of a Salesman," "Barefoot in the Park," "The Odd Couple," and "Spamalot."

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Before he died, NBC News reports, Nichols was working on adapting "Master Class," a play about the opera singer Maria Callas, for an HBO project staring Meryl Streep.

His death was announced by James Goldston, the president of ABC News. Nichols was married to ABC anchor Diane Sawyer for 26 years. He is survived by three children and four grandchildren, and his family says a memorial will be announced at a later date.